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EverSystems, a pioneer in the development of secure mobile transaction solutions for the global wireless and financial services industries, announced recently the implementation of its Ev-MobilePayments platform with Telesp Celular, the largest wireless carrier in South America. With this development, EverSystems has established itself as a provider of choice for secure end-to-end m-commerce transaction capabilities.

The system, marketed by Telesp as Waaap Pag, allows users to conveniently and securely conduct micropayments, or small value payment transactions, via their WAP enabled wireless phone. Recent reports by IDC suggest the penetration of WAP enabled devices in the Latin American region will reach roughly 5.7 million in 2002.

Waaap Pag offers users of Telesp Celular’s ‘Baby’ and ‘Peg & Fale’ pre-paid wireless services the ability to rapidly recharge the value of their pre-paid minutes directly from their handset. Shortly, all Telesp Celular subscribers will enjoy the freedom and flexibility to purchase a wide variety of products and services, including items such as movie tickets, gas station fill-ups, as well as food from vending machines and restaurants – all with a simple phone call.

To use the service, subscribers initially log-in to the Waaap Pag website (http//www.waaap-pag.com.br) via the Internet and open an account by supplying either a Visa card or Bradesco bank account number. Once the account is in place, subscribers simply establish a browser connection with their WAP enabled device, then using the on-screen menu, select the desired options and input the transaction value. This value is then verified and charged against the account, and the appropriate amount is authorized to the device or at the point of sale.

To enhance the security of such mobile purchases, and to minimize the risks associated with handset loss and data interception, information is protected in all stages of the transaction. Users must provide a password to authorize each sale, and can opt for limitations on the volume, and the aggregate value, of transactions. Because the user’s personal financial information is not stored on the handset, nor broadcast over-air, risk from phone theft is further diminished.

“The implementation of EverSystems’ MobilePayments platform by a major carrier such as Telesp Celular represents a significant milestone in our strategic m-commerce deployment efforts,” stated Cristian G. Balbontin, COO of EverSystems’ North American operations. “As carriers in North America become increasingly interested in offering mobile payments functionality, both as a new channel of revenue and a point of differentiation for their subscribers, our mobile payments technology is a proven solution to meet their needs.”

Founded in 1991, EverSystems is a leading provider of secure e-Banking solutions to financial services institutions throughout the Americas. With a broad range of proven products and solutions, EverSystems is dedicated to opening new channels and opportunities for financial relationship management. To date, the company has completed over 70 major deployments of its e-Finance technology, reaching nearly two million end users of clients such as Citibank, BankBoston, HSBC and Banco Santander Central Hispano. For additional information, please visit http//www.eversystems.com.

Pitney Bowes this week launched a new foreign currency payment service for small to mid-sized businesses in the US. To manage payments in over 60 foreign currencies, customers simply complete a registration form to set up the account, and then call or fax the Pitney Bowes Bank to initiate foreign currency payments. Pitney says it also offers extremely competitive exchange rates, currently up to 5% lower than bank rates. Pitney Bowes serves over 2 million businesses through dealer and direct operations.

Swedish-based AU-System, a leading Mobile Internet consultancy, announced the opening of its North American subsidiary in San Diego.

“We are committed to AU-System’s growth in North America,” said Daniel Kivikas, president and CEO. “We are excited to make our home here in San Diego and to bring our expertise and knowledge to the U.S. market. AU-System has been at the forefront of the evolution of the Wireless Internet in Europe and we are looking forward to sharing our core competencies with technology companies, telecom operators and enterprises in North America.”

In addition to building the world’s first Internet bank with smart card security, AU-System has also created the world’s first commercially available WAP 1.1 browser and the world’s first secure wireless stock trading service. The company’s client list includes Ericsson, Telia, Singapore Telecom, Motorola, Hyundai, Compaq, Philips and Volvo.

AU-System is publicly traded on the Swedish stock exchange and its major investors include Schroder Ventures, Ericsson and IBM. The company employs more than 1,000 staff in offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Italy, Thailand, Singapore and the U.S.

In the wake of a bankruptcy filing by PA-based Credit Card Center, TX-based Tidel Technologies said this morning it could incur a significant charge to earnings for the second quarter if the value of the collateral pledged to Tidel by CCC is insufficient. CCC has total assets of approximately $34 million and total liabilities of approximately $87 million. At yesterday’s hearing, the Court set June 15 as the date it will rule on CCC’s applications to retain legal counsel and use certain cash collateral to pay pre-petition wages for a limited number of employees. At the filing date, CCC owed Tidel the principal amount of approximately $27 million. The obligation is secured by a collateral pledge of accounts receivable, inventories and transaction income. Tidel has not received any payments from CCC on amounts due since January. Tidel has not shipped any products to CCC since December. Tidel reported in May a sharp decline in first quarter revenues and earnings due to the loss of CCC, as revenues declined from $18.6 million for 1Q/00 to $8.2 million for 1Q/01. (CF Library 5/11/01)

Macalla Software, Europe’s
leading mobile eCommerce platform provider, announced that Postbank
Nederland, one of Netherland’s largest retail bank’s with more than seven
million customers, is using The Macalla Mobility Platform(TM) (Mobility) to
deliver its next generation mobile banking service. The mobile banking
service is due to go live in June 2001 with an initial 500,000 users. As part
of the service, Postbank and Telfort are offering customers a free,
pre-configured Siemens M35i Internet enabled phone. The mobile banking
service provides mobile access to Postbank’s retail banking services, and
Telfort’s pre-paid call credit top-up facilities.

The service combines both SMS messaging and WAP. WAP is being used to
deliver secure interactive banking services in order to pay bills, transfer
funds, check account balances and stock information — through a
pre-configured mobile phone linking them to Postbank’s services. These
services will be quickly extended to include stock trading.

SMS is being used to trigger and fulfil call credit prepaid top-up. For
example, a customer is alerted by Telfort that their call credit is depleting
towards a pre-defined threshold. Using the “hot button” facility on the
pre-configured mobile phone, the customer inputs the amount by which to
increase the call credit. An encrypted SMS message is automatically triggered
and The Macalla Mobility Platform(TM) then launches a series of secure
instructions between Postbank’s and Telfort’s enterprise systems,
authenticating the customer, verifying the funds available, debiting the
customer’s Postbank account, and crediting the customer’s Telfort account,
thereby completing the call credit top-up. For ease of use, customers can use
the same M-code (PIN number) for login, authorisation and call credit top-up.

Systems Integrator CMG Finance BV is working closely with Postbank
Nederland, Telfort and Macalla Software on the project. CMG’s associate
director Peter Mondeel said, “The mobile solution developed for Postbank could
only have been delivered within this short period of time by combining The
Macalla Mobility Platform(TM) from Macalla software, the knowledge and
integration services of CMG and the full cooperation of Telfort and Postbank.
The Macalla Mobility Platform(TM) also gives Postbank the opportunity to
quickly add new services and channels.”

Hypercom reported Wednesday a large scale deployment of its touch screen ‘ICE’ card payment terminals throughout Asia. The new generation terminals now account for nearly 50% of all Hypercom’s shipments in Asia versus 3% less than a one year ago. Among institutions now using Hypercom’s ‘ICE’ terminals: The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China; The Agricultural Bank of China; Equitable Bank in the Philippines; Maybank; Bank Central Asia; Citibank Hong Kong; Standard Chartered Bank; Bangkok Bank; Thai Farmers Bank; Thai Military Bank; American Express Thailand; and Bank International Indonesia. Hypercom says the sales of the terminals in Asia is driven partly by the increase in credit card skimming. Hypercom’s new terminals are tamper-resistant and customer-activated.

MasterCard International said last week that it expects explosive growth for ‘Maestro’ cards in the Asia-Pacific region, especially Thailand. The Asia-Pacific market has three billion consumers spanning 23 countries with only 9% using credit cards. MasterCard Asia-Pacific has launched, so far, 20 debit card programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, India, Singapore and Australia. MasterCard also launched a pre-paid ‘Smart Money’ card in the Philippines, and a smart card with South Korea’s Kookmin Bank, which combines credit, debit, stored value and transport functions. In 2000, MasterCard’s charge volume in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding China, increased 53.9% in US dollars from 1999. Growth in North Asia was 64%, China other than the mainland 39%, Southeast and South Asia 27% and Australia and New Zealand 22%. Cards in circulation grew 27%.

Payment Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of advanced payment-related software and services, has appointed two payments and financial services industry veterans to its board of directors. The new directors are Scott Loftesness, a private investor and consultant based in Menlo Park, Calif., and John Elliott, a financial services industry consultant based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are honored that Scott and John have decided to join our board of directors,” said Jean Woodworth, President and CEO of PTI. “PTI is already a fast growing company and we are confident that, with the wealth of knowledge and experience Scott and John bring to us, PTI will achieve an even greater level of success.”

Loftesness has over 25 years of experience in the information processing and technology industries including serving as Group Director, First Data Merchant Services and Group Executive Vice President, Visa International. He is an active investor, advisor and industry consultant to companies in the payments and financial services industries.

Most recently, Elliott served as President and General Manager of American Express’s International Establishment Services Group. Prior to American Express, Elliott served as a Strategic Advisor to First Data, Chairman and CEO of Card Establishment Services (CES), Executive Vice President of MasterCard International, and Senior Vice President of Citicorp Services. Founder of Veritas and Electronic Financial Services Division of ADP, Elliott has served as a member of the Board of Directors of several major corporations and the Electronic Funds Transfer Association, and was founding member of the International Council of Smart Card Applications and Technologies (SCAT).

PTI, a privately held company headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., is a provider of software and associated operating and professional services to the payments and financial services industries. Founded in 1985, PTI serves financial institutions, transaction processors, associations and business users of payment products and processing services. PTI’s core product, Valexia, offers a comprehensive collection of account-based payment products and services on a single platform.

Trintech Group Plc , a global provider of secure electronic payment infrastructure solutions for real world, Internet and wireless environments, announced it is a founding member of the TV Linux Alliance. Along with Trintech are 22 leading technology suppliers to cable, satellite, telecommunications and broadcast operators allying to produce Linux standards designed to improve product robustness in the advanced set-top box market.

Trintech is working within the alliance to help define a standard application programming interface (API) allowing cable operators and MSO’s (Multiple Service Operators) to select from a variety of vendors whose offerings are interoperable with the common API. Proprietary standards, which have been the industry norm, are costly to develop and reduces the time-to-market. This alliance plans to capitalize on Linux designs already underway among various founders and harmonize early work across the industry to ensure that Linux is delivered to the digital set-top box under a common framework of evolving standards-based specifications.

“Trintech is proud to be one of the founding members of the TV Linux Alliance,” said Trevor Healy, Vice President and General Manager ePayments Division for Trintech. “As a leading provider of secure payment systems globally, Trintech supports this open standard initiative that will aid the expansion of services offered by cable operators to their subscribers.”

Trintech’s involvement with the TV Linux Alliance provides an opportunity to further enhance the widespread adoption of its PayWare EveryWhere payment platform. PayWare mAccess, part of the PayWare product suite, is a modular, server-based multi-channel payment solution that enables “one touch” payment via any device including digital set-top boxes and mobile devices. Sophisticated built-in security features such as voice authentication provide a secure and convenient solution for the user.

By 2004, Forrester analysts estimate that tCommerce in the interactive television (iTV) market will amount to more than $5.5 billion. Acknowledging this growth potential, Trintech believes that this alliance is strategic to developing and capturing this emerging and captive market.

PayWare mAccess Product Overview

PayWare mAccess is a server-based product that seamlessly and securely authenticates the user and transfers payment details from digital set-top boxes and wireless devices through to the payment processor for settlement. It allows shoppers to simply drag-and-drop these virtual cards from their desktops or to ‘one-click’ purchase from their digital set-top box or wireless device to online merchant forms which will then be automatically filled out with the customer’s information.

About Trintech

Founded in 1987, Trintech is a leading provider of secure electronic payment infrastructure solutions for card-based transactions for physical world commerce, eCommerce and mobile commerce. The company offers a complete range of payment software products for credit, debit, commercial and procurement card applications, as well as being a world leader in the deployment of payment solutions for Internet commerce that are fully SSL and SETÂ compliant. Trintech’s range of scalable open systems architecture solutions for UNIXÂ® and Windows NTÂ platforms covers consumer, merchant and financial institution requirements for physical payments and the emerging world of electronic commerce.

The 11 gaming properties of SunCruz Casinos in Florida and South Carolina, and nine other gaming properties recently signed contracts to utilize the technologically advanced products and services of Global Cash Access, a supplier of cash access, financial management and customer relationship marketing technologies to the gaming industry.

SunCruz Casinos has signed a five-year agreement to use QuikCash cash advance terminals at the following properties:

BRS Media’s dotFM, the Premium Multimedia Domain, announced today that their fully automated .FM domain registration web site now accepts the Discover Card (www.discovercard.fm). Thereby allowing customers to use the card that pays them with a Cashback Bonus award on every purchase to get their own Great Sounding Web Address!

“We are extremely pleased to expand our clients’ paying options with the Discover Card.” remarked George T. Bundy, Chairman & CEO of BRS Media Inc., “And now through June 30, 2001, dotFM will be offering a 10% discount on all new .FM domain registrations that are placed via our site using the Discover card.” Those interested should visit (www.dot.fm) for further details. Get the name you really want! Domains under .FM are easy to access, work reliably worldwide, and are easy to remember and recognize. Like: FTD(R) (www.ftd.fm), Western Union (www.westernunion.fm), Strategic Media Research (www.strategic.fm), and Morgan Stanley (www.msdw.fm). Plus the growing list of world class .FM radio stations including: Las Vegas’ MIX 94.1 (www.mix941.fm), Liepzig — Germany’s OLDIE.FM (www.oldie.fm), Sacramento’s KOOL 101.9 FM (www.kool1019.fm), and LA’s Power 106 (www.power106.fm).

dotFM, the Net’s first step toward building and branding on the multimedia power of the Web, offers the Internet community a compelling alternative to a .COMmon or .COMplicated Web Address. Premium .FM domain names are available to anyone interested in obtaining their own “Great Sounding Web Address!” at: www.dot.fm

BRS Media, a member of the International Webcasting Association (www.iwa.fm), is a full service Internet e-commerce firm that helps radio stations and multimedia web sites build and brand on the power of the Web. The company’s online divisions include: dotFM & dotAM (www.dot.fm) (www.dot.am), domain registrar of premium .FM & .AM (TLD) domains. WEBCASTi AM/FM, (www.webcasti.fm) providing the broadcasting industry with the best webcasting solution for today’s Interactive Web. RadioWeb.FM (www.radioweb.fm) a full featured web-site hosting service, and the ever popular Web-Radio (www.web-radio.fm) the leading portal for “Tuning In” radio on the Internet. BRS Media Inc. can be found on the World Wide Web at www.brsmedia.fm.

The Ministry of Public Security announced yesterday it will begin to issue a national smart ID card by the end of this year to replace the cards currently issued within each province. Currently, ID cards in China, which are valid for 20 years, consist of a laminated paper card showing a person’s name, photo, birthday and ID number. The PSB says the new plastic smart cards will most likely contain a photo too. The State Council, which approved the plan, will begin pilot programs in large Chinese cities by year’s end. College students may also be one of the first groups to receive the new cards. The PSB projects it will take five years to make the changeover to smart cards. Counterfeit ID cards have been a growing business in China.